


Wild Magic AU

by codasaurusb



Category: Tortall - Tamora Pierce
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-11
Updated: 2018-02-11
Packaged: 2019-03-16 16:12:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13639758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/codasaurusb/pseuds/codasaurusb
Summary: Alternate universe where, instead of telling the wolves to go away at the beginning of book one, Daine accidentally runs off to join the pack. I always wondered how that would be handled.





	Wild Magic AU

Onua looked around, worried despite herself. Not a minute ago, Daine had gone unnaturally still, only responding after being shaken. She had asked if Onua heard the wolves, and gone into the forest. She had said she would be right back, but Onua knew her well enough to tell that something had upset her. Should she go after Daine?

“Onua? Daine?” Numair’s voice came from the speaking spell in Onua’s hand, urgent. “Are you all right? Cloud’s gone crazy- she’s headed your direction. Did something happen?”

Onua had heard enough. Jumping from the fence, she told Numair what had happened, looking for any signs of Daine. Had she gotten hurt? The wolves had sounded distant, and Daine’s wild magic would keep them from mauling her, surely. Maybe she had stumbled and fallen, breaking her arm or leg or, gods forbid, her skull. 

It couldn’t have been more than a few minutes before Cloud arrived at the gallop. She looked around the meadow, then came up to Onua and neighed angrily, as if Onua was hiding Daine from her.

“Do you know where Daine is?” Onua asked instinctively. Part of her laughed at her action- what was she doing, asking a pony for help- but another part of her reasoned that Cloud had been able to understand Daine’s words clearly enough, had even shown Onua a clearing in the marsh. Maybe Daine’s influence had somehow formed a link between them.

But Cloud seemed to have no answer, other than to look around anxiously, as if she was looking for her mistress to return.

Numair arrived at a trot. “You haven’t found her?” he asked, looking as anxious as Cloud. Onua shook her head. 

“I have no idea where she’s gone! Do you think someone took her? She said she would be right back, but she isn’t nearby, and Cloud seems to think something’s wrong.”

Wordlessly, Numair closed his eyes. Onua could tell that he was casting some working with his Gift, but couldn’t tell what it was. She waited impatiently until he opened his eyes. Five balls of black fire dribbled from his hand and rolled into the woods.

“A tracking spell?” she asked, curious despite her fear. 

“Something like that,” he said tersely. “Onua, I can’t see her magic, and normally it’s so bright that I can sense it from at least a quarter mile away. Whatever’s happened to her, either she’s farther away from me than that or…” his sentence trailed away.

“Something’s taken her then,” Onua said, trying to hold back the rush of nausea that overcame her. “Or she’s seen some animal she wanted to talk to in the forest, or she took a walk to clear her head… I’ll go find Buri and Sarge. We’ll search the whole place.” She took off at a trot, leaving the mage to continue his investigation.

Breakfast the next morning was a sorry affair. All of the recruits were exhausted after the previous night’s activities- Sarge had informed them that they would be getting an impromptu lesson in search and rescue. There had been no progress, except for finding what could be Daine’s boot tracks in a muddy area near a brook. Onua and Numair both skipped breakfast. Having stayed up most of the night in a futile effort to track the footprints to their source, they opted to take an extra half hour of sleep. They met in the mess hall as Sarge prepared to send the trainees to their mounts.

“One of us has to tell Jon, if he doesn’t already know,” Onua pointed out, exhausted. “And I don’t know that I can- I need to help with the ponies, or Buri, Sarge, and Thayet will be swamped.”

“I’ll tell him. There’s no way he’ll begrudge me looking for her- not after our chat yesterday. She’s an important asset to him now, especially after the Stormwing attack yesterday.”

Onua nodded, before walking away to join Buri, who immediately engaged her in some discussion. Numair cast one last glance over the mess hall, part of him absurdly hoping that Daine would be there among the milling trainees, before seeking out King Jonathan.

 

 

When Numair told the king about Daine’s disappearance, Jonathan dropped into a chair, placing his face in his hands. 

“It’s my fault, isn’t it,” he said bleakly. “I put too much pressure on her, and she couldn’t handle it.”

“Jon, there’s no way that’s why she’s gone,” Numair said automatically, but a part of him wondered if the king wasn’t right. He had put Daine’s strange mood down to learning that her “knack with animals” was actually magic, but he had been teased many times by Onua for being clueless with emotions. 

“I suppose there haven’t been any sightings of Stormwings around the palace?” Jonathan asked.

“None, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any. It could be that Stormwing queen- Bitterclaws, or whatever she calls herself. She did swear revenge on Daine. Although if that were the case, I would expect to have found,” he grimaced, “a body.”

The king groaned. “Gods above, Numair. Alright, then let’s assume for now that she ran away. Where would she go? Back to that village of hers?” 

“It’s a possibility,” Numair mused, “but I thought there would be enough bad memories there that she would avoid the place. I always had the sense that something bad happened there that she didn’t want to talk about, why she didn’t stay there with one of the villagers. Still, it’s a start, and they may know something that could help us figure out where she’s gone.”

“How long will it take you to get there?”

“If I push as hard as I can? A week, give or take.” Numair was already itching to follow this slim lead.

“If that’s the case, then I give you permission to go to- what’s it called?”

“Snowsdale, I think.”

“I give you permission to go to Snowdale to pursue Veralidaine.” Under his breath, the king added something that sounded suspiciously like “as if anything I said would prevent you.”

 

 

 

By the time Numair reached the village of Snowsdale, he was fed up with small towns. This close to the borders, there were few large cities, and men of his power and wealth were evidently not common travelers. He had been gawked at and whispered about enough, and even now, as he approached the village headman, he was conscious of the gradually gathering crowd. 

“Master Salmalin!” the headman said formally. “We are honored by your presence.” In his hand he held the message that King Jonathan had had sent. “May I offer you some refreshments in my house?”

Numair knew enough about etiquette to know that refusing this invitation would be an insult to this village’s hospitality, so despite his impatience to find out if Daine had been here, he allowed himself to be led into a comfortable house, and to be given a slice of a cake that appeared to be filled with dried fruit. Only after complimenting it did he finally allow himself to ask his question.

“Is Veralidaine Sarrasri here?” 

The headman’s smile dropped. The others in the room looked similarly shocked, and a few even made the Sign. 

“No,” he said carefully, looking at Numair strangely. “Veralidaine has not been here for at least a few months.” 

“You’re sure that Veralidaine Sarrasri is who you’re looking for?” asked another guest, a rough-looking woodsman who was evidently part of the council.  
“Yes,” Numair said. “A small thing? Dark hair, grey eyes-“

The woodsman punched his neighbor’s shoulder roughly. “I told you that winter hadn’t killed her! We should have pressed on and finished the job ourselves-“

Numair stood up. “You were hunting her?” he asked, breathless with rage.

“Of course we were,” his neighbor said, rubbing his shoulder. “Lost her tracks, what, two months ago? We could have done better if we coulda used the hounds, but she’d witched them somehow…” he trailed off at the murderous look in Numair’s eyes.

“You hunted her,” he said, more calmly than you felt. “Like she was an animal. Do you have any idea how strong her magic is?”

They all gaped at him.

“No, of course not,” he said, trying not to lose his temper. “If you had to guess where she was right now, where would she be?”

They all stared mutely until one man said, quailing, “She ran with those wolves of hers, didn’t she? Like she were a wolf herself.”

Wolves. Onua had mentioned wolves, hadn’t she? She had said Daine asked about wolves howling. Progress.

“Thank you,” Numair said, and then left before he burned the entire village to the ground.

 

 

 

Onua set up her tent, exhausted by another day of travel. They had stationed themselves in the woods near a small town that had called for assistance as they were passing by- something about livestock thieves or something. The only interesting thing that had happened in the three days since they had left, other than the continued reports of immortals, was word from Numair that he thought Daine’s disappearance might just have been a visit to a wolf pack, but in her heart of hearts she knew that that was not true. Daine wouldn’t stay there long enough to worry her. Daine knew better, for one thing, and for another, she wouldn’t have said that she would be right back. Numair said that he was heading back to the palace, but Onua had made up her mind that it was all a false lead. She just hoped that he would get a new idea when that one failed.

“Horsemistress Onua!” someone called from from behind her. Onua spun, about to tell them off for interrupting her, but stopped when she saw Miri Fisher, out of breath and with a look of urgency on her face that Onua had never seen before. Miri leaned over, catching her breath, before standing up and gasping, “Her Majesty wants to see you, and Commander Buri, and Sarge, right away.”  
Onua didn’t run, as Miri evidently had, but she did go at a brisk trot. When she arrived at the queen’s tent, she was surprised to see a man there with a young boy there, evidently his son. Thayet looked up as Onua entered, and said, “Onua, listen to this.” Turning to the boy, she ordered, “Tell her what you told me.”

Looking embarrassed, the boy began, “I watched our sheep, when we heard that they were going missing. So I sit there, and…” he trailed off, his face turning pink. 

“And he starts falling asleep,” his father interjected, glaring at his son.

The boy nodded sheepishly, before continuing, “But right before I slept, I saw the thieves, but they were…. They were just wolves.” 

“Ridiculous,” the man said, shaking his head. “Pay him no mind. He’s just trying to weasel his way out of this one. We keep them in a pen. No wolf could get in or out.”

“But that’s what happened!” the youth said indignantly. “One of the wolves reared up and pushed up the latch, pretty as you please! But then I fell asleep and didn’t see no more, so I don’t know how they got out.” 

Onua sighed. She had seen some strange sights during her life, but never a wolf that could open gates. She looked at Thayet, trying to ask her without words why she had been called there.

“Go on,” the queen urged. “Was that the only strange thing about the pack?”

The boy blushed beet red, and cast a quick glance at his father. “No,” he said reluctantly.

“He was dreaming,” the man hastened to add. “Lying or dreaming, choose one.”

“Either way. What did you see?” Thayet asked calmly.

“Well, I could have sworn… I thought I saw a girl. But not a normal girl. She looked… savage-like, and she was on all fours, so I thought she was a wolf at first.”

Onua could suddenly feel her heart pounding. “What did she look like?” 

“I can’t say,” he said, evidently surprised. “Her hair looked dark, is all I remember, and she was wearing a tunic and breeches, not a dress.” 

Onua got up and walked back to her tent, which she was pleased to notice the trainees had finished for her. She had to contact Numair. 

 

 

It took four more days for Numair to reach the camp. When he entered the village, he was greeted by an impatient-looking Onua. 

“Where have you been?” she asked. As Numair dismounted, handing his exhausted horse to a waiting trainee, he could see that Onua looked exhausted, as if she hadn’t slept for days. 

“Travelling. What’s the news? You think you’ve found her?” he said, trying not to let his hopes get up.

“Horse-lords willing. We haven’t found much- a boy says he saw a girl running with a wolf pack, but that could be nothing. What is bizarre is how the wolves have been acting. We hear them at night, and we posted guards on all of the livestock pens, but then they see a wolf, and they’re drawn off, and when they get back, another sheep or pig is gone. They’re too smart, Numair, and the only time I’ve seen an animal act that unnaturally-“

“Cloud,” Numair said. “Where is Cloud, anyway?”

“I brought her with us,” Onua confessed. “I thought maybe a spare pony would be useful, but she’s been restless since we came here. I think- I hope, at least- maybe she can sense Daine.”

Numair nodded. “I think you might be right,” he said. “Those villagers, in Snowsdale, they said that she was like a wolf herself. I didn’t think that it was so…. literal, but it’s worth checking up on.” Rolling his neck, he said, “I think I’ll help watch tonight. I’ll sense her wild magic if she’s close enough and I’m looking for it, and maybe I can find her and talk sense into her. And if that’s the case, then I’ll need a nap.”

 

 

It wasn’t quite midnight when Numair heard the sound of a single wolf howling. Startled out of a half doze, he looked towards the pen he was by, and summoned his speaking spell. 

“I take it you heard that?”

“Yes,” Alanna and Onua chorused. They had decided to station themselves at each of the three pens that had not yet been stolen from. It seemed that the pack never hit the same pen twice. The trainees below him nodded at his signal and moved into the forest, searching for the wolf. Numair doubted they would find it- after all, they never had before- but with them gone, and him hidden, the wolves would be more likely to emerge.

“Should we come, too?” Onua murmured.

“No, stay,” Numair whispered back. “If this is another diversion, I don’t want to lose them.” 

They waited in silence for a few minutes before Numair saw motion. Closing his eyes, he performed the mental trick that allowed him to see wild magic.  
There. Through his magically enhanced vision, he saw the wolves as dull copper smears, far outshined by a blindingly strong amount of wild magic. There was no question. It was Daine. He frowned. Something was not quite right about her magic, but he didn’t have time to ponder it. Dropping his illusion spell, he stood and called, “Daine!”

All of the wolves- and the very dirty, very bedraggled girl on all fours in their midst- stared for only a split second at him. The next second, what appeared to be the alpha of the packed bayed what was evidently a retreat, and they began to melt back into the woods.

Making a split second decision, Numair tossed a blob of his Gift at the fleeing Daine. It separated into a net, anchoring her to the ground. Trapped, she made an inhuman sound, and the wolves immediately turned, ready to attack him. Numair shielded himself, and then sent a shock wave that sent the wolves flying away from him. The leader made another noise, and they melted into the woods, although Numair sensed that they were merely waiting for the time to strike, when his guard was down.

A sudden harsh purple light was cast over the scene as Alanna arrived, followed seconds later by Onua from the other direction. The three of them stood for a second, taking in the scene. Onua was the first to break the silence.

“Daine,” she said, walking towards the girl. “Daine, we thought you were- by all the gods, don’t you ever do that again.” She was about to brush the girl’s hair from her face when Daine attempted to snap at her hand. She drew back, startled. 

“She tried to bite me,” she said, almost as if to try to convince herself that she hadn’t imagined the absurdity of the situation, before looking at Numair. “She’s gone feral.”

Approaching the captive girl, Numair had to admit that was what it looked like. Her eyes showed almost no trace of recognition in them, and she pressed herself against the back of his magic-net as he and Alanna approached. 

“What can we do?” Onua asked, hurt and worry in her eyes. 

“Alanna, can you make her sleep so we can bring her inside?” Numair said. “I want to be able to figure this out without being mauled by wolves. And I need time.”

Alanna’s hand glowed purple as she touched Daine’s head, careful to avoid the girl’s attempts to claw and bite her. When Daine slumped to the ground, Numair scooped her up, letting his net dissolve. 

They brought her to the house that the village headman had insisted Thayet stay in after the first two nights. Onua brought news to Cloud, who seemed to understand that they had found Daine, and had to be tied onto a string with the other ponies to prevent her from breaking down the door to get to Daine. As the sun rose, the three sat, watching as Daine stirred. Alanna stood, blocking the door. Daine’s eyes opened, and she looked uncertainly around, getting to her hands and knees. Numair’s heart sank- he had hoped that waking up apart from the pack might help, but evidently that wouldn’t be enough. He had been able to tell that somehow, Daine’s wild magic had overwhelmed her sense of self. He just had to hope that there was enough Daine left in there to revert her back to her usual self. 

Cautiously, he took a step towards Daine.

“Good morning, magelet,” he said quietly. Daine looked uncertainly around, confusion and fear in every line of her body.

“Daine,” Onua said. “Remember us?” Daine looked at the three of them, and Numair could tell that something was happening. Instead of attempting to maul them, she was listening to their conversation. “I’m Onua,” Onua continued, “And this is Numair and Alanna. Your friends.”

Numair took another couple of careful steps, kneeling in front of Daine. “You’re human,” he said, grasping at what to say. “It would be kind of you to remember that, instead of turning into a wolf and running off. We’ve been worried about you.” Seeing a dim remembrance in Daine’s eyes, he continued, “You’ve been gone for, what, two weeks? You can’t go running off like that, magelet.” Praying that he wouldn’t be attacked for his troubles, he gingerly wrapped his arms around the crouching girl, embracing her. She was completely still. “Let’s try standing up, shall we?” Slowly and carefully, he stood up, raising her to her feet. He backed away, but Daine remained standing, still with that same look of confusion and dawning comprehension.

“Daine?” Onua asked.

Daine’s head turned towards her. “Onua?” she asked, and Numair almost collapsed with relief. Daine suddenly turned deathly pale. She started towards the door, stumbled back as she saw Alanna there, and then backed away, her hands palm out, as if she expected them to attack her. And no wonder, Numair realized, feeling sick, after what her village had done. 

“Are you all right?” Alanna asked, starting towards her, concern evident on her face. “Are you hurt? Goddess knows I can’t tell under all that dirt.” 

Daine’s eyes were filling with tears. “Goddess, I- I went mad again, didn’t I?” 

“No,” Numair said, as gently as he could. “Daine, I think it was your wild magic overwhelming your sense of yourself. What makes you Daine.” 

“Are you going to- to shut me in, or hunt me down, or kill me?” 

Numair looked at his companions. Both of them looked like they had been slapped. “No,” he said. “Don’t be absurd. I’m going to help you get your magic sorted out.” He glanced down at Daine, and wrinkled his nose.  
“But first? A bath.”


End file.
